Relief valve



E, KLAFS TAD RELIEF VALVE Dec. 7, 193 7.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 4, 1935 ,hvenfor ll" JJ WWW Patented Dec. 7, 1937 PATENT OFFICE 2,101,682 RELIEF vALvE Erling I lafstad,.Melrose, Mass assignor to Crosby Steam Gageand Valve Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of .Massachusetts 3 Application November 4, 1935, Serial No. 4a,149

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to safety or relief valves, and more particularly to such valves designed to relieve upon the occurrence of excessive pressures in steam lines and the like sub- ='i jected to relatively high pressures where close regulation is necessary.

Valves of this character have been heretofore constructed with -a cooperating valve disk and seat,' the disk being guided in its movements by a surrounding shroud or. guiding sleeve and being held against the seat by a loading spring. In this type of construction the'valve spindle extends upwardly through the spring, and-the thrust is transmitted to the valve throughv the spindle. As the size of the valve lsincreased together with the length. of the spindle and 'spring, serious problems have been encountered due to the fact'that the spindle under the influence of the loading spring may tend to exert go a side thrust upon the valve and not only cause excessive wear but toactually cramp the disk in such a manner that it will stick in either open or closed position.

I have discovered that this inherent objection 25 which may become accentuated with the use of .large valves at high pressures can be overcome by virtually constructing a spindle section which is sufficiently massive to avoidbuckling, and which is accurately guided at separated oints up to compel movement of the spindle in an accurate and predetermined path aligned with the path of movement of the valve disk. Any tendency on the part of 'theloading' spring, if it 3 exists, to exert a side thrust on the spindle is s t-satisfactorily resisted by the guides through whichthe spindle operates. The spindle itself, however, merely transmits the loading thrust to the valve disk without any accompanying side or lateral thrust, and relieves the disk and its guide sleeve iromnndue wear or sticking. Actually the alignment of. the spindle in this manner tends to aid in maintaining accurate movemerits of the disk and relieves the surrounding guide sleeve of the mayor portion of its/guiding 55 function.

- in actual practice I propose to connect the spindle to the valve disk in such a manner 'as to permit rotational movements of. the disk, but

to restrain the disk against angular movements 50 relative to the spindle. Furthermore, I-apply the spring load to the remote end of this spindle section at a point not far removed from the outboard guide so that any tendency on the part of the spring to exert a side thrust is resisted adjacent the region of application. I may conoutlet passage It at one side.

nect with the spindle section an extension passing outwardly lengthwise of the spring and serving as a manual connection to raise the spindle and valve from its seat when desired. This extension, however, as will be obvious from the con- 5 struction, exerts no tendency on the part of the spindle to cramp it in the guide, nor can such a tendency if exerted be communicated to the disk itself.

' In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 represents a section in elevation of a relief valve embodying the features of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale illustrating the valve and its accompanying seat, the cohnection between the spindle and disk and the inboard guide member,

Referring particularly to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, it will be observed upwardly into the valve. body and is tapered in l the. upper portion to provide clearance therebetween. It is closed by a valve disk indicated generally at 20', which engages the rim of the nozzle at 22, and when elevated from contact with the seat permits the escape of fluid directly into' the outlet passage l4.

, The valve disk 20 is conveniently made in two portions, the main disk of generally cylindrical outline having an.insert 24 seated in the lower face connected with the main portion of the disk through a fulcrum rod 26 to permit slight rocking movements. The face of the insert contacts directly with the seat 22 and constitutes the seating portion of the disk. The disk is guided for movements to and from the seat in a guide sleeve 28 of cylindrical formation which is clamped to the valve body through a radial flange 30 engaged by a cooling extension 32.

The nozzle I6 is surrounded adjacent its-upper portion by a nozzle-34 which may be adjusted with relation to the nozzle by rotating upon its threaded connection. Adjustment is maintained .by'engagement of the inner endof a set screw 1 36 with circumferential teeth or the like 38 formed upon the ring. The guide sleeve 28 is likewise provided with a'slee've ring 40, and adjusted position of this ring is maintained by a set screw 4: engaging with teeth 4,4. The ends or both members extend through the body and engage from the exterior. The provision of these two spindle through a ball thrust member I. Withdrawal of the spindle section with respect to the disk is prevented by an inserted clip ring 55, as indicated in Fig. 2. This connection permits rotary or swiveling movements oi the disk with respect to the spindle, but angular movements are gaged by a'manual lifting lever B and elevated together with the spindle section ll and connected valve. As indicated in Fig. 1,-the liitin lever is iulcrumed at It, and engages a head I mounted upon the extension 84, the whole being enclosed in a cap 02.

With this construction it will be evident that the accurate guiding oi the spindle section causes it to transmit the. spring load to the valve disk without other tendencies, and in consequenc any inaccuracy or non-uniformity of seating of the loading spring, or in fact any cause which would tend to exert a side thrust not absorbed in the spindle guides without being transmitted to the guide sleeve. The upper guide member or sleeve 82 is mounted rigidly in the base l'of the valve bonnet I2. i

These two guide sleeves, which are accurately fitted to the spindle and aligned with respect to each other, provide means for predetermining the path of movement of the spindle and avoid any tendency on the part of the spindle to exert a side thrust upon the valve which would necessarily be communicated to the surrounding guide sleeve.

f' Thespindle section itself is sumciently rigid to' 1 avoid buckling under the-applied stresses, and

,when properly guided'merely exerts theloading thrust upon the disk -free from any sidewise tendency.

In the construction shown in the drawings, a cooling extension 32 isihterposed between the ciently massive to avoid buckling under loadin strain,- a thrust bearing between the end of the spindle and the disk to permit rotative movement of the disk with respect to the spindle. a restraining member connected with the disk and spindle to prevent relative angular movements of the disk and spindle, spindle guides positioned adjacent opposlte ends of the spindle to compel accurate movements of the spindle in a path aligned with that of the valve disk, and a loading spring engaging with the end of the spindle remote from.

the disk and beyond theouter spindle guide to impart a loading thrust thereto without aflecting the predetermined path of movement of the spindle and connected valve disk.

2. A. relief valve comprising a housing, a connected valve bonnet, a valve disk, a cooperating sion having lengthwise openings separated by slldinalv fits and is closely iz' i h guide radial fins to allow for the escape or hot fluid sl v se v n t accurately de th d sk houtwardly before contact with the bonnet and in a predetermined wi normal t the s at. a enclosed spring, and'to deflect any steam which valvespindle sui'flciently massive to avoid buckmay otherwise escape upwardly alongthe spindle. n u der applied -din s r n nnec i ns To aid in thi function the spindle is provided between the. disk and spindle topermit relative valve body and the bonnet l2,'this cooling exten- I s at. a tu u ar snide sleeve within which h d s with a deflector member I4 attached thereto as movements, of rotation of the spindle and disk indicated in Fig.. 1. J V The guided spindle section is engaged at its end remote from the valve by a coiled loading spring 18 which transmits the thrust to the, spindle rounded end of the spindle. ,The opposite end of the'loading spring engages a fixed seat 80, the position of which may be adjusted by, a threaded abutment 82 mounted in the end of the bonnet to vary the spring load upon, the valve as may be necessary. The, spindle section ll may be engaged by" an extension 84 threaded in the end, passing outwardly lengthwise of the spring and through the abutment 82, where it may be err-- l5 avoided through the employment oi a retaining vaiveitseli'. Inconsequence" the valve disk may nut I6 threaded inthe upper portionoi the valve .move freely and easily Within h guide Sleeve disk and closely encircling the spindle to restrain without lity of st c g or ere s. a 1 the disk against angular movement with respect hus effecting the operation of the valve.

to the spindle. j It will be observed that each or the guide The spindle section II, as will be more clearly sleeves which closely and a cu t y his t sp n-.

evident from Fig. 1, is accurately guided at sepadle Section p ovided w l ng w du t rated points by means of guid gl ves all and a2, 84 which facilitate lubrication of the spindle, but respectively. The lower or inboard guide sleeve hi h in n wise in rf with h s dins f n is provided with'a clamping flange N, by which tion. V V, it is engaged and held in proper relation to the What is claimed is:-'-

A spindle. The guide sleeve has surrounding outlet: A r l ef valv eemprlsins a h usi a valve passages as which permit in communication with d sk. e p at s seat. a tu ul snide m er the passage a the escape oi steam or hot fluid urround n and closely ui n th di k t mwhich may have entered the chamber ,above the L D r i ht line movement of the disk in a di- 80 valve disk through leakage between the disk and reetien m l. to the s at. a val e spindl su but preventing relative angular movements-there-i 1 ifinough a spring seat ll engaging with the die in accurate alignment with the path of movement of the disk and avoid the imposition of side thrust upon the disk, a loading spring engaging 

